


after two years

by avvngrzs



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, I didnt abandon this, I promise, I'll fix it, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Tagging, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Marauders Friendship (Harry Potter), Not Abandoned, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Ron Weasley is a Good Friend, Ron Weasley-centric, Slow To Update, Tagging as I go, Time Travel, a bit angsty, characters might seem a bit OOC, im going to update soon, just a bit different, mostly canon, no beta we die like men, pls let me know if I make mistakes, tell me if they are
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-02-23 14:23:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23712916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avvngrzs/pseuds/avvngrzs
Summary: After two years in the past, Ron wants to get home. He’s tired of almost calling James, Harry, seeing people who are supposed to be dead, alive, and not being able to see Hermione or Harry. When the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor comes, Ron doesn’t know how to react, especially since he recognized him. Better summary and story explained inside!
Relationships: Harry Potter & Ron Weasley, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 54
Kudos: 224





	1. two years gone by

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! This is my first story! It's basically about Ron being in the marauder's era and wanting to go home as he has been there for two years. The reason I decided to start the story after two years Ron has been there is because it is more convenient for the plot. Plus, there is not much that happens the first two years, but if this story does well, I might do a prequel!
> 
> Enjoy!

Out of all the people, Ron did not expect it to be him.

Usually, when stuff like this happened, it happened to Harry, and Ron would be by his side, strategizing and helping him.

What happened, you might ask?

Well, Ron was sitting in a compartment in the Hogwarts Express, which usually was not an uncommon event. However, it is not a matter of _where_. It is a matter of _when_.

To cut it short, Ronald Billius Weasley was currently in 1977.

How, you might ask, had this happened? Well, the brains in the Department of Mysteries did more than almost suffocate him and make him go crazy.

They sent him to the past.

For a long time, Ron wondered why he had been sent to the past by the brains. He tried recalling that night at the Ministry loads of times, before giving up from not being able to find anything new in his memories. He came to the conclusion that he would not find out until he was sent back.

Over two years, Ron completed his fifth year again so that he could be in the same year as the marauders, as he had appeared in the summer of 1975. Ron thought that it would be better, as he did not have his O.W.L. scores with him, which would've probably made Dumbledore suspicious. Last year, he completed his sixth year. He had changed a lot and had become taller, much taller. His new name was Ronald West. His background story was that he was Muggle-born, and he was homeschool by a professor in his neighborhood. His parents and professor were killed by Death Eaters, and Ron had no one, so he decided to attend Hogwarts. He had been sorted into Gryffindor, once again.

The first year, Dumbledore had agreed to let Ron stay at Hogwarts over the summer, which surprised Ron. Dumbledore explained with a twinkling eye that it would not be easy for Ron to suddenly have a home again, and Hogwarts always had its door's open. Ron suspected Dumbledore knew, but was not exactly sure.

However, the next year, Ron did not want to bother and tell Dumbledore that he was from the past, thinking and hoping that he could solve this mess himself, but when he had no success, and it was the end of the school year again, Ron had to tell him. He had nowhere to go, nowhere to live, no food or water, and no money. How could he survive without those things? He supposed he could stay at Hogwarts again, but he did not want to be a burden, and he wanted to go out of Hogwarts for once and explore the past.

It did not matter, anyway, because Dumbledore already knew about Ron’s situation due to Legilimency and, well, because he was _Dumbledore_ , but did not just want to randomly approach him about the matter until Ron wanted to, and Dumbledore, being a kind-hearted man, lent him a house of his own and gave him 41 Galleons, 9 Sickles, and 26 Knuts that Ron swore to pay back someday. 

Ron heard voices from outside of his compartment.

“But that’s Ronald West’s compartment! I don’t want to go there!” Peter. Ron felt his anger rising at the man who pretended to be his rat for years.

“He won’t kill you, Wormtail.” Remus. It was the Marauders, of course. Fate loved him.

“Yes, he would, Moony. He’s a Death Eater.” Sirius. Ron rolled his eyes. Apparently, since he was good at the Defense Against the Dark Arts and came out of the blue, he was classified as a Death Eater. Ron thought it was a bit pathetic. The whole school believed him to be a Death Eater, and Ron answered honestly when a couple of Slytherins asked him if he was or not.

“Oh, come off it, Padfoot. It’s the only compartment left that’s not totally full, and unless you want to sit with the Slytherins, who we _are_ sure are Death Eaters, then feel free to.” James. Ron’s throat tightened. James looked so much like Harry, he even _sounded_ like him.

“But I’m sure he’s a Death Eater, Prongs! Right, Wormtail?” Sirius asked. Ron could almost hear Peter nodding.

“Well, I would be surprised if he hasn’t heard this conversation. If you guys aren’t coming, don’t. We’re going in. Come on, Prongs,” Remus said. And the compartment door slid open.

All of them were dressed in Muggle clothes, which reminded Ron of Hermione. His heart clenched. James' hair was messy, as always, and if he had a lighting-bolt scar and emerald green eyes, he would have been Harry’s identical twin. Ron had accidentally called James, Harry, a couple of times, which made the Marauders ask him questions Ron never answered. Sirius’ hair went a little past his shoulders, and his eyes were the familiar grey shade Ron was used to seeing, but so much brighter than Sirius in his time, as he had not seen the horrors of Azkaban yet. Remus’ hair was sandy brown and had some grey in it, but not as much as Remus in Ron’s time. Peter—Ron refused to look at Peter, worried that he may tear the rat to shreds; the person pretended to be his pet for many years had betrayed his best friend's parents. Ron felt his stomach twist in anger.

“Can we sit here?” asked James Potter. Ron shrugged but nodded. Remus and James sat down, but Sirius and Peter protested, not even entering the compartment. James raised an eyebrow, before getting up and sliding the door closed halfway, stopped by Peter’s foot. Ron saw James’ triumph smirk.

As James, Sirius, and Peter sat down, Ron turned a page of his book. Yes, Ronald Weasley was reading a book. Ron _had_ grown isolated in the two past years, so since he had no one to talk to, he researched about his situation. Sometimes, he would find books about Defense or Potions and grow interested. Eventually, Ron started to read a lot more and did better on his exams.

However, no matter how much Ron researched, he did not know how the brains sent him to the past or how to get back to his present, and unfortunately, Dumbledore did not either. So, as of now, he was stuck in the past, with no way back.

“So,” started James, “who do you think will be the new Defense professor?”

Ron shrugged while continuing to read _Hogwarts: A History_. He really didn’t know. When he had asked Dumbledore about it, Dumbledore refused to tell him with a twinkle in his eye. He had a sneaking suspicion Dumbledore was up to something. Ron inwardly rolled his eyes. Dumbledore was _always_ up to something.

“Hopefully it’ll be someone useful this time. Last year’s bloke didn’t know anything,” added Remus. Ron silently agreed. Last year’s Defense professor, Professor Williamson, didn’t know anything and barely taught anything. He reminded Ron of Gilderoy Lockhart.

“Hey, West, drop the book and speak with us,” Sirius demanded. Ron sighed. He gently shut the book close and put it in his trunk he bought with the money Dumbledore had given him.

“Finally,” mumbled Peter. Ron glared at him.

Ron stared at the four. James and Remus sat on the same side as him, while Peter and Sirius chose to sit on the opposite side. Ron gazed at the empty seat in front of him. He sat in the same compartment where he met Harry and Hermione in, and the empty seat in front of him was where Harry sat.

“So, how was your summer?” asked Remus.

Ron looked at Remus, shrugged, and spoke for the first time. “It was alright.”

“What did you do?” James questioned.

“Nothing, really,” Ron replied honestly.

“Oh, so you didn’t go to Death Eater meetings?” Sirius asked.

Ron raised an eyebrow. “No. I’m not a Death Eater. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that to get it into your brain, if you have one.”

“I think you should watch the way you talk, West. Remus and I don’t think you are a Death Eater, but we aren’t going to let you talk to Sirius like that,” James said, looking a bit torn about who to defend, but obviously choosing Sirius anyway.

“Then he shouldn’t call me a Death Eater. My parents were killed by Death Eaters, remember? Why would I join them?” Ron argued.

“That’s a good question,” Peter jumped in. “I’ve been wondering about it for a long time. Still do.”

“Guys, just leave him alone,” Remus said.

“You’re right. He’s no better than Snivellus,” spat Sirius. Ron glared at him. The Sirius he knew would never say that to him, but time changed people. Ron wasn’t even sure if the Sirius in his time was alive. Maybe he was dead.

That’s what scared Ron the most. He had no idea who was alive, no idea who was dead, and no idea who was okay. And, truthfully, Ron did not want to know the answers to the questions.

“Truth or dare?” Peter suddenly asked him.

Ron and the others looked at him confused. “What?”

“Just answer the question. Truth or dare?” Peter pressed.

Ron decided to play it safe. “Truth, I guess.”

“Who’s Harry?” Peter asked, smirking.

Ron felt his anger boil up and was about to tell Peter to stop sticking his nose in other people’s business when the compartment slid open by a fiery red-head.

“Potter!” The five of them jumped. “We have a meeting in the Head’s room! And Remus! There is a Prefect meeting! Why are you all—Oh, hello, Ron,” Lily Potter—no, Evans—greeted. Ron stared into her eyes. _Harry’s_ eyes.

Ron smiled—a real smile. “Hello.”

“Is there something going on here?” she asked.

“No,” Ron answered. She didn’t want her worrying. Lily was a bit overprotective of Ron. She took her job a bit too seriously when Dumbledore had told her to look over him. _Just like Hermione_.

“Well, hurry up, Potter! Come on, Remus!” Lily hurried them. James, Remus, and Lily left the compartment door, sliding the door close behind them.

Ron slumped back in his seat, glaring at Sirius and Peter. Sirius seemed to regret what he said earlier. But Peter was smirking widely.

“So, are you going to answer the question?”

“Shove off, Pettigrew. Go stick your question—”

“Cut it out, you two,” Sirius interrupted. “Sorry, Ron. I shouldn’t have said that earlier. I just got mad for a minute,” he apologized. Ron stared at him. Sirius _barely_ apologized.

“I understand how you feel,” Sirius explained. “You are accused of being a Death Eater. My whole family is a bunch of Death Eaters. People hate you for that, and people hate me for that.”

Ron sighed. “It’s alright.”

There was a knock on the compartment door. It was the Trolley Witch.

“Anything sweet for you three?” she asked. Ron dug in his pocket and found two Galleons and three Sickles. He sighed. He had mostly wasted his money on school books, clothes, and food all summer. He didn’t want to use any more money. Sadly, he put his money back in his pocket.

Ron rolled his eyes as he saw Sirius buy almost half of the cart. Peter stared at the treats, ready to eat them any moment.

Ron hadn’t packed a lunch. For the last week, he tried finishing up the food in his fridge so it wouldn’t rot there over the school year. He also—surprisingly—cleaned the house. He didn’t want Dumbledore disappointed when he saw his house. Ron frowned as Peter and Sirius started eating Chocolate Frogs. He didn’t ask for one, though.

However, Ron was surprised when Sirius asked if he wanted one. All in all, Ron hesitated before accepting his offer.

“Thank you,” Ron mumbled. Sirius offered him a smile.

“Any time, mate,” he replied.

Ever since Ron started reading more, his thoughts would travel a lot and go from one subject to another in a matter of seconds. Just like right now. Ron caught himself before he spiraled again.

“Why do you hate me so much?” he decided to bluntly ask Peter.

Peter scoffed. “The real question is, why do _you_ hate _me_ so much? You have hated me since the moment you set eyes on me.”

Ron sighed. He couldn’t exactly say why he hated Peter so much without changing the future.

“You just... remind me of someone that wasn’t particularly the best,” Ron answered. It kind of was the truth. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t hold a grudge against you for something you haven’t done.”

Peter seemed a bit surprised. “Oh, okay.”

There was an awkward silence. Ron opened his Chocolate Frog and took a bite. His card was Dumbledore, again.

The chocolate tasted so good. When was the last time he ate? Last night? Yeah, Ron finished all the food last night. He hadn’t eaten anything since then. Wow, was he hungry.

Although he was starving, Ron ate the chocolate frog slowly, trying to savor every bite, and trying to not show that he was hungry.

When Ron finished his Chocolate Frog, he sighed in disappointment and turned to stare out the window.

After a few minutes, the compartment door opened, revealing James and Remus.

"We’re back, thankfully,” James said cheerfully, closing the compartment door as him and Remus stepped in. Remus rolled his eyes with a slight smile on his face and sat next to Ron. James sat in front of Ron by Sirius. _In Harry’s seat_.

Of course, Ron couldn’t say anything about it, it would be too suspicious, so he just glanced at James, who looked so, so much like Harry, and then turned back out the window. 

“Did something happen?” Remus asked. Ron turned and smiled at him, shaking his head.

 _Remus, a happy Remus, that had all his best friends alive and with him till the end._ Except for Peter.

Sirius cleared his throat. “I—uh... apologized to him.”

_Sirius, a carefree Sirius, his eyes not haunted by the darkness that had engulfed him in Azkaban, no guilt behind those eyes, his face bright and not pale and scaly like the future version of him._

James grinned. “You, apologizing? Wow, I never would have thought.”

_James, alive and happy, not knowing how unfair his fate was._

Remus chuckled. 

Remus, Sirius, and James, not knowing what their future holds for them, how _unfair_ their future was to all of them. 

Ron couldn’t do it.

He stood abruptly, not realizing how pale his face was. All eyes turned on him.

Ron took a deep breath in. “I’m going to use the loo.”

He opened the compartment door and left the compartment, sliding the door close behind him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's the first chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it! I plan on updating the story once a week, so hopefully I will have the next chapter by Sunday (4/26/20). Also, please stay safe from the coronavirus. I hope you all are doing well, and see you guys next time! Kudos and comments are appreciated!


	2. thoughts and thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ron goes through his day, expecting it to be normal. When Dumbledore pulls him aside, Ron is proven wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!! PLEASE READ THIS! If you read this story before Tuesday (4/21/20) then you should know that I have made changes. You could go back and reread the first chapter, if you would like. If not, I'll just summarize the changes here. Ron has been in the past for two years instead. He repeated his fifth year because he decided it would be best to be in the same year as the Marauders, and he didn't have his O.W.L. scores. Ron thought that that would make Dumbledore suspicious of him, so he decided to just repeat his fifth year. That's about it. Enjoy the new chapter!

In the next two minutes after he had entered the Great Hall, Ron would notice two things.

The first thing that he had noticed was that the Defense Against the Dark Arts seat for the teacher was empty.

Ron was surprised when he saw this. He thought that Dumbledore had already gotten someone to take the position. Perhaps, he was late, Ron reasoned with himself.

_If only he knew._

A bit after Ron took his seat at the Gryffindor table that he had been sitting at his time in the past, he noticed the second thing. It was that the Marauders, who were just a seat down from his left, were shooting him odd looks. All of them, even Remus Lupin, who Ron had thought would stop after the first two glaces.

He didn’t. Neither did the others.

They continued doing this during the entire sorting—they had gained a couple of new Gryffindors—and Dumbledore’s speech. Ron wasn’t stupid. He knew why. It was purely because he had left the compartment and had only returned at the very end of the ride. Then again, the whole ride was awkward and tense, and Ron suddenly leaving seemed to make things worse.

As Dumbledore began speaking, Ron decided to ignore the group of four and Dumbledore’s speech, instead settling for listening to his own thoughts.

 _Why_ did _I leave like that? I’m not supposed to make them suspicious. If anyone could figure out where I am from, besides Dumbledore or Snape, it would be them_ , Ron thought. And it was true. Severus Snape probably was a master at Legilimency already, and the Marauders were smarter than they got credited for. They were a group that worked so well together, it sometimes reminded Ron of him, Harry, and Hermione.

 _Harry and Hermione,_ Ron thought wistfully. Although he probably would not admit it out loud, he missed them. He missed everyone. Blimey, he even missed Fred and George and their pranks. The Marauders used to throw a lot of pranks in fifth year and continued in the first half of sixth, but they mostly had stopped nowadays, wanting to mature. Even though they ended up throwing a prank once in a while, it wasn’t the same as Fred and George’s. It would never be the same.

Ron almost laughed out loud. He would’ve never thought he would want to be pranked by Fred and George. He hoped they were both okay. He hoped _everyone_ was okay.

Ron tuned his ears back into Dumbledore’s speech after hearing him say, “Defense,” wanting to know what happened. “...Dark Arts teacher this year will not be able to make it, unfortunately, until tomorrow morning, and so I will not be able to introduce him yet.” Dumbledore paused for a few seconds, obviously contemplating what to say. “These times are growing darker, and I wish you all to stay safe.” He cut himself off once again, wanting that to sink in into the children. “Let the feast begin!” announced Dumbledore, and food popped up onto the plates.

Although Ron had considered himself hungry on the train, his appetite was suddenly gone. He settled for a chicken and ham sandwich.

After the fifth time the Marauders had looked at him while he was just trying to enjoy his sandwich, Ron turned to them, a bit annoyed. “What?” he questioned while shaking his head.

They all looked taken aback. “What?” asked Remus.

Ron set his sandwich down. “You have been looking at me constantly. What’s up with that?”

“Oh,” James said, fidgeting in his seat. “Well, we were a bit worried after you stormed off, so…” He seemed unsure of what to say next, and Ron didn’t know how to respond.

Ron blinked at him a few times. “Oh… well, I—I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? Listen… I know I’ve been a jerk to you, well, probably since you’ve gotten here, and I’m… well… I’m sorry. I’m not very… trusting when it comes to people,” Sirius said, speaking for the first time.

“Like I said before on the train, it’s alright. I… I guess I’m sorry too. I haven’t been equally nice to you. Or Peter,” Ron added, a bit surprised at his own words.

Wow, Ronald Weasley and Sirius Black were apologizing, to each other, while they were both seventeen years old. Ron never thought he would see the day, but then again, he never expected to fly his father’s car to Hogwarts in his second year either. When you were Ron Weasley, unpredictable things could happen to you. This happened to be one of them.

“It’s okay,” Peter said, smiling a bit. “So, fresh start?” he asked, holding his hand out since he happened to be the closest to Ron and only an empty seat away.

Ron stared at the hand. While he would rather gladly rip it off for betraying his best friend’s parents and possibly be the cause of all this mess, Ron opted for the easier version and shook it quickly, before letting go. “Erm, yeah,” he said, forcing a grin that probably looked more of a grimace on his face. “A fresh start.”

“Mr. West,” a voice said to their right. It was Minerva McGonagall. She wore her usual pointy hat with green robes and her glasses sitting down on her nose. There was a stern look on her face, as usual, hiding her true care for the students. Ron smiled at her, glad to see a familiar face, although it was younger with fewer wrinkles and less gray hair. “Professor Dumbledore would like to speak with you in his office after dinner.”

Ron nodded, growing a bit excited. Had Dumbledore finally found a way to send him back? Or would he just be asking if Ron himself had made any progress? There was only one way to find out. “Alright, Professor.”

McGonagall smiled at him slightly before walking her way back to the Hogwarts staff table. A couple of confused and curious looks were thrown in Ron’s way from the rest of the Gryffindor table before they turned away, going back to what they were doing before.

“Why do you reckon Dumbledore wants to speak with you?” Remus asked curiously, before sharing a look with his other friends.

Ron shrugged, before answering honestly but briefly. “I don’t know, guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

And soon enough it was.

After about ten minutes, Ron watched as Dumbledore stood up from the staff table and dismissed the feast, telling the prefects to lead to first years and explaining other important stuff, before meeting Ron’s eyes with a glean in them.

 _Did you find a way?_ Ron shoved that thought to the front of his mind, hoping Dumbledore got the message. It seemed he did not, however, as Dumbledore looked away and simply left the Great Hall.

“I’m… going to go,” Ron told the four best friends, turning and giving them a small smile before getting up and leaving the Great Hall without bothering to see if they had said goodbye back.

Once he left the Great Hall, Ron saw Dumbledore waiting for him by the doors. This caught Ron by surprise. Was it that urgent?

“Hello, Professor,” Ron said, walking up to his headmaster and ignoring the odd looks of the students around him. He had gotten used to the stares and odd looks people gave him, from being one of Harry Potter’s best friends, and from being “new” in the school.

Well, who could blame Ron? If he did tell people the truth of where—oh, sorry, _when—_ he was from, he would probably be sent straight to St. Mungo’s.

“Hello, Mr. West. It is nice to see you. How did your summer go?” Dumbledore asked, starting to walk in the direction of his office.

Ron followed him and felt his cheeks going a bit red. “Oh, sir, if this is about your house and your money, I have the rest of your money…” Ron paused, grabbing the coins from his pocket and presenting the money to Dumbledore, “here, and I also made sure your house was cleaned up.” A sudden thought about how his mother would have been proud of his manners occurred to him, and he smiled a bit.

As the pair finally ended up in an empty hallway where all was quiet, Dumbledore studied him closely, the half-crescent glasses on the bridge of his nose hiding sparkling eyes behind them. “Your generosity is extremely appreciated. However, I would say that it would be rude for me to take the money back. Therefore, you will be able to keep it, Mr. West. Or, should I say, Mr. Weasley?”

Ron hesitantly put the money back into his pocket and tilted his head towards the right. “Is this what this meeting is about, sir? Have you found a way? I researched this summer, but I haven’t found anything.”

Dumbledore merely smiled at him. “This meeting is exactly about that. Nonetheless, it is also not.”

Ron raised an eyebrow as they reached the hallway that contained Dumbledore’s office. “I don’t really understand what you mean, sir.”

Dumbledore didn’t look at him this time. Instead, he kept his eyes straight ahead towards the area of his office. Ron had only seen Dumbledore like this when there was a serious matter in the hand. This was a serious matter, Ron supposed.

They stopped in front of Dumbledore’s office. Ron expected him to say the password so that they could enter, but he turned to face Ron instead.

“Mr. Weasley, your incident has been a completely non ordinary case. You’ve come from the future, 21 years, as you came from the summer of 1996 and ended up in the summer of 1975, and every time you have recalled what had happened that night or every memory you have shown me has unfortunately not helped our quest to find you a way home. I have… resorted to our last option.”

Ron felt dread creeping up on him. “Oh, no. Please don’t tell me that you’ve told the Ministry.”

Dumbledore grimaced, but nodded. “I supposed I should have asked you before—”

“Suppose?” Ron couldn’t help but interrupt with anger. “What do you mean, ‘suppose’? You should have! What if someone overheard?”

Dumbledore raised a hand, signaling him to stop before he could continue. “Do not worry, Mr. Weasley, I had made sure that would not happen. At the beginning of summer, I spoke with two Unspeakables, and I made sure to charm the room multiple times. No one had overheard. I made sure of it.”

Ron took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself and feeling a bit guilty at lashing out. “Sorry, sir,” he said a bit awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. “What did you exactly tell them, and what did they say?”

“I told them about the incident as precisely as I could. They were thoughtful and were not sure as to how they could help at first, but—” Dumbledore smiled a bit, “—a few weeks later, they came up to me with an idea.”

Dumbledore paused—which, _of course he did, the dramatic man—_ and Ron couldn’t help but urge him on. “What was it?”

“They asked me who you were in the future. I told them your name, and they decided to mail your father a letter that he would not be able to open until July 15th, 1998.”

Ron did not know how to answer as he tried to process this. “I… hold on. How would this help? Wouldn’t we have to wait until 1998 for them to realize, then?”

Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled at him. “Ah, but, you see, Mr. Weasley. Time is an interesting concept. In the letter, we told your father where, or when, shall I say, you are. We decided to tell your father to bring someone to the past as well. More specifically, someone that could teach Defense Against the Dark Arts and accompany you. We also chose that specific date, so that the future could have enough time to find a way to find a way to the past. We mentioned in the letter to arrive on the date of August 31st, 1977. So, the time traveler arrived last night.”

Ron’s mind was racing a mile a minute. “Wait, so you told them to bring someone from the future into the past? Wouldn’t they be stuck here too?”

“Yes. Although, we must remember, the future now knows of your predicament, and, hopefully, will figure it out. After all, there is a reason for us not being able to find the solution in the past few years. Traveling into the future is much more difficult than trying to travel into the past. The reason for this is, that, when trying to travel into the future, you are trying to travel into something that does not exist yet. However, with your case, it currently does.”

Ron was stunned and didn’t really know how to respond. “I… that doesn’t really make sense.”

Dumbldore nodded as if he understood. “Time travel, and time itself, is a very hard subject to grasp.”

Ron’s heart started pounding as he finally processed what Dumbledore said. “Wait, that means… that means someone from the future is here.”

Dumbledore smiled cheerfully at him and nodded. “It does.”

_More specifically, someone that could teach Defense Against the Dark Arts and accompany you._

Ron felt as if he already knew who it was.

In fact, as Dumbledore said the password—which Ron missed—and they walked up the stairs leading to the headmaster’s office, Ron became sure of it.

His heart leapt into his throat with every beat, and Ron felt his breathing grow quicker. He wiped his palms— _when had they gotten so sweaty?—_ onto his school robes and stared at the door that they had reached too quickly.

Ron wasn’t ready.

Ron still wasn’t ready as Dumbledore opened the door to his office, but Ron still saw a boy with black, sloppy hair, emerald green eyes hidden behind glasses, a guilt, battle-ridden face, and a lighting-bolt shaped scar on his forehead sitting on one of the chairs in front of the headmaster's desk.

It was exactly who Ron thought it would be.

Still, Ron felt his legs wobble, like this was a dream, and his eyes water up, as he croaked out one word.

“ _Harry?_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it! If you guys guessed it would be Harry, then you're right! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll hopefully have the next chapter up by Sunday (5/1/20). See you guys next time, and once again, Kudos and comments are appreciated!


	3. just a brief summary of what you have missed (hint: it’s a lot)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ron and Harry catch up, and it's more than both of them can handle in one night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm so sorry for being a day late. I was extremely busy this week and did not have much time. Beware, this chapter has some angst. Also, minor swearing. This chapter was hard to write, so I hope you enjoy it!

Missing someone is a feeling and an emotion you can’t describe, they say. 

What about the feeling when you finally see the person you have been missing?

Ron did not know what exact emotion he felt as he stared at his best mate sitting in a chair in 1977.

Perhaps it was happiness, perhaps it was shock, perhaps it was relief, or perhaps it was disbelief.

Ron did not know. He had too many emotions running through his body at once.

Ron stood there, frozen, blinking, his heart pounding in his chest, and not believing what his eyes were seeing. His jaw hit the floor as he tried to comprehend what to do.

Harry sat there in his chair, staring incredibly at Ron back in grief. The two boys couldn’t believe that the other was there.

Abruptly, Harry stood up and threw his arms around Ron, and Ron immediately returned the hug, grateful to be in the presence of his best friend again. He had missed Harry immensely after not seeing him for two years. The fact that he was here, hugging him, and also in the past with him made Ron so unbelievably happy he felt as if he could cry.

Well, maybe not including the past part.

After a long moment, Harry pulled away slowly, and Ron studied him. Harry looked… different, which was to be expected. He looked older, for one, his eyes dull and filled with grief from who knows what he experienced. There were a few scars that ran down his face, along with his famous lightning-bolt scar still in its spot. His head still sported his messy-black hair, and he seemed to be a bit older, taller, and mature. Other than all that, Harry was still… Harry, and that made Ron joyful from seeing his best friend again.

Harry seemed to be analyzing the changes in him too, and the first words his best mate that he had not seen in two years had said to him was, “You’ve gotten a bit taller.”

Ron chuckled, unsurprised by his friend's words. “Yeah, maybe just a little,” he said, grinning at his friend widely.

Harry bit his lip as his eyes seemed to water, and Ron frowned. He opened his mouth to say something, but Dumbledore spoke with his eyes sparkling. “I will leave the two of you alone. I suppose I will be back in half an hour.” He turned to leave but seemed to remember that he forgot to tell the two something and turned to face them again.. “Oh! And do not worry about the portraits telling anyone anything. I have charmed them so that they will not hear anything you say.”

At his words, an odd look on Harry’s face appeared, but it disappeared as quickly as it went. Harry smiled briefly at the headmaster before replying, “Thank you, sir.”

Dumbledore simply smiled softly at them and left.

Ron tried to figure out what the type of face Harry had just made meant. It was a face of not believing what he was seeing, just like Ron had been feeling only moments ago. It seemed to be the same look of disbelief and grief Harry had just given him barely minutes ago, only slightly different. He looked as if he had seen… a ghost.

The gears in Ron’s mind clicked as it came together, and he felt his blood turn cold.

He turned to Harry, his face pale. “He’s dead.”

Harry looked surprised at what Ron had just said. “What?” he asked, confused.

Ron took a few deep breaths and sat down in one of the chairs in front of the dest before replying. “Dumbledore… He’s dead in your—our time.”

Harry stared at Ron, wide-eyed in shock. “How did you…?”

Ron looked away. “It was a bit obvious.”

A silence followed before Harry asked. “What… What do you mean?”

Ron sighed while a million questions ran through his mind. “Your face kind of gave it away.”

Harry sat down in the chair in front of Ron and knitted his eyebrows together in confusion of what to say next. “Oh…”

“Harry…” Ron whispered, his voice slightly breaking as tears filled his eyes. “Is it really you? How did the letter even work?”

Harry smiled at him. “Yeah, Ron, it’s really me.” He paused for a few moments, allowing his statement to sink into Ron. “As for the letter, Hermione—” Ron sucked in a breath, “—told me that the presence of the letter existing allowed it to continue to exist, or… something like that. Basically, it just means that because you sent the letter, it will eventually send, and it did, just 21 years later.”

Ron was still a bit confused, but decided to ignore that situation. “So… Hermione’s okay? Everyone is okay? They’re all safe, right? My family, too.”

Ron hated the way that Harry’s eyes turned dark with grief and guilt at his questions.

Harry looked away, instead settling his eyes on the right side of the room. “Yes, everyone is mostly okay. Physically, at least. Mentally…” Harry sighed deeply and looked into his lap, “…I’m not so sure.”

Ron decided to be straightforward with his friend. “Okay, but everyone is alive, right? You said mostly, but… I need to be sure.” He paused, gulping before saying his next sentence. “Dumbledore… isn’t the only one who died, is he? Who else did, Harry?” He was aware that his heart began racing in his chest in fear of what he would hear.

Harry sighed once again and looked back at Ron. His eyes looked heavy, as if he was carrying all the weight of the world.. “I’ll start from the day you disappeared.”

Ron’s fears immediately grew. Had someone died the same day he disappeared?

Unfortunately, Ron’s fears were proven true as Harry choked out one word. “…Sirius.”

Immediately after he had spoken, Harry put his hands in his face to hide his guilt and pain, while Ron sat there with his mouth open, feeling his heart twist in pain. _Sirius? As in Harry’s godfather?_

 _What other Sirius do you know?_ Ron’s mind asked himself. He closed his mouth and asked, “How?”

Harry merely shook his head from inside his hands before looking up with tears threatening to fall from his eyes. He blinked them back and spoke, his voice cracking a bit. “I… I’ll give you all the details over the weekend. We’ve only got half an hour today.”

Still, Ron couldn’t help but ask, “Was it… Was it on the same day that I…?”

“Yeah,” Harry replied shortly. Ron leaned back in his chair in shock, already feeling the pain of losing Sirius.

Sure, he was never exactly as close with Sirius as Harry had definitely been, but Ron still knew him and how kind and accepting he was towards almost everyone. Sirius’s younger counterpart and Ron did not get along that well, but they were starting to make progress. Ron felt his throat tighten as he thought of Sirius.

Ron’s hands trembled, scared of what’s to come, scared that this was only the _beginning_.

When Ron looked back up, he saw his best friend shaking with his hands in his hair. “Harry… I’m so sorry,” Ron said, trying to reach him and assure him that it would be alright.

_But will it be?_

Ron wasn’t sure.

He was even less sure as tears started pouring out of Harry’s eyes, and Harry removed his hands from his hair. Ron had only seen his best mate like this once, and that was after the third task.

“I—I lost him on… on the same day that—that I lost you,” Harry said, his voice breaking in between as he tried to regain his breath. He looked into Ron’s eyes, and Ron felt a deep weight in his stomach as he looked into the eyes that seemed so haunted “Ron… we didn’t just lose… Sirius… that day. We also… We also lost you.”

Ron was immediately struck by Harry’s words and of what it meant for himself.

People thought he was dead.

They thought _he_ was dead and thought that until the Unspeakables had sent the letter.

“Wait, what?” Ron breathed. “You guys thought I was dead?”

Harry shook his head slightly, and Ron felt a bit relieved until Harry said, “No, we didn’t at first, but… then the Death Eaters had told us that you… _were_ , and even gave us a pile of—of bloody _ashes_.” Harry’s voice was starting to shake with anger. “They told us that they… that they _burned_ you to death. And we believed it, like fools, simply because they gave us urn with ashes and said that it was _you_.” Harry was fully shaking now with rage.

Ron stared at him in disbelief, his mouth wide open in shock at what he had just heard. He felt his stomach doing a flip and resisted the urge to vomit his dinner. “ _What_?”

Harry chuckled darkly without a smile on his face. “Yeah, it was messed up.”

The empty weight in Ron’s stomach increased as each moment passed. “I—I don’t understand.”

Harry sighed deeply and looked at Ron. “We didn’t know what happened to you. We assumed the Death Eaters had taken you, and they even told us later on that they did and were trying to get you to break.”

“That makes no sense, though. I wasn’t there.”

Harry sighed once again. “I know, Ron, which is why when your father got the letter saying that you were alive we were confused and couldn’t believe it. We held a _memorial_ for you, and this random letter was saying that you were in 1977." He took a deep breath before continuing. "We're assuming that the Death Eaters are the people that sent you here in the first place and lied to us all saying that you were dead, but when we asked a few of them before I came here, none of them answered. We think Voldemort might have something to do with it, but it’s not like you can just go up to him and ask him questions about your missing best friend that you thought was dead. Plus, he’s gone.”

Ron backtracked. “Hold on, you talked to Death Eaters? What do you mean Voldemort’s gone?”

Harry smiled slowly. “Ron… we did it. The War’s over. Voldemort’s dead.”

If it was possible, Ron’s jaw would have fallen off by now. Like an insane person, he laughed. “No, you’re joking.”

But Harry shook his head and said, “No, I’m not. Me, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Luna did it. Of course, not without a few… casualties. War is war. Like I said before, I’ll tell you all about it over the weekend.”

Ron could barely comprehend what Harry said. Voldemort was _gone_. _Dead_. “For sure, this time?” he couldn’t help but ask.

When Harry nodded, Ron simply slumped back in his chair in disbelief. “When?” he asked.

“This May, May 2nd, to be exact,” Harry answered.

Ron tried to wrap his mind around what Harry just said, but couldn’t seem to believe it.

“It’s crazy, I know. I still can’t believe it sometimes, or I forget,” Harry added, smiling sadly at him.

Ron looked into Harry’s burdened eyes, sitting up. “Harry, we can finish this over the weekend. Maybe this is too much for one night?” Ron suggested, deciding that his friend had enough for one day.

Harry nodded, agreeing, but said, “Tell me about your time here."

Ron grimaced, but sighed and started speaking. “When I arrived here, I was completely confused and had no idea what was going on. I appeared outside of the Ministry. It was daytime, and I decided to leave because… I don’t know, honestly. It’s like… my instincts were telling me to.”

Harry bobbed his head down once. “I understand what you mean. Go on.”

“Well, then I continued walking, and I saw a newspaper. I picked one up to see if it said anything about us breaking into the Ministry, which now that I think about it was dumb because it was a Muggle newspaper. I looked at the date, and when I saw the year I was even more confused,” Ron explained as Harry nodded along. “Well, after double checking the newspapers and asking someone if it was outdated, I decided to go to Hogwarts. I was going to tell Dumbledore about everything, but then I remember Hermione telling us about the rules of time travel and decided not to. I decided to just tell him that I was a Muggle-born that was home-schooled by a professor in my neighborhood, and my parents and professor died so I decided to start at Hogwarts. He definitely knew I was lying, but he didn’t say anything about it.

“I decided to redo my fifth year because I didn’t have my O.W.L. scores and didn’t want to make Dumbledore doubt me or anything and because I… kinda wanted to be in the same year as the Marauders. Plus, it would give me a headstart and more time to find a way back since I already knew everything.”

“Oh,” Harry said. “That would explain why you’re still going to Hogwarts. I never finished my 7th year, maybe I should’ve and someone else should’ve taught.”

“You didn’t finish 7th year?” Ron questioned. Harry shook his head. “Why not?”

But Harry shook his head again. “I’ll explain this weekend.”

Ron nodded. “Okay,” he replied, already worrying about his answer. “Well, I finished 5th year, and Dumbledore allowed me to stay at Hogwarts over the summer. Sixth year came and went also, and then I finally told Dumbledore. I stayed at one of his houses over the summer, and he gave me money.”

“Good,” Harry said. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Ron smiled at Harry, who said, “Ron, what about the Marauder’s Map? Did you already handle that or…?”

Ron couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, well… did Sirius or Remus ever tell you how they lost the Map?” When Harry shook his head, Ron continued. “I was really worried about that too, so the first night when everyone was asleep, I might’ve… nicked it from them and… _accidentally_ put it in Snape’s bag the next day. I assumed that Snape would give it to Filch, and he did, so…”

Harry was gaping at him. “That was a good idea, Ron. I probably would’ve never thought of it,” he praised.

Ron grinned at him sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure they knew it was me though. They seemed to be onto me the entire year. They’ve pranked me a couple of times.”

At this, Harry frowned. “They never… hurt you, right?”

Ron was taken aback and looked at Harry, surprised. “No, what made you think that?”

“Oh, well, didn’t the Marauders… bully Snape or other people? Or hex them in the hallways for fun? Does my mom… hate my dad?” Harry questioned.

Ron was confused. “I mean, the first year I was here, they were a bit immature and did that to a couple of people, but it was mostly people who said something rude first, I think. I'm not very sure. As for Snape and James, well… They have been at it for a while, but James stopped looking for a fight mainly the past year. They’ve all matured, and I think it had something to do with Sirius leaving his home last year. Also, from what I know, Lily doesn’t hate James anymore, and if she did, she certainly doesn't now. Why?”

“Oh, well, I’ll explain more this weekend,” Harry said simply. Ron raised an eyebrow at him, wanting to know more, but deciding not to push it.

“So, Defense professor, huh?” Ron teased.

Harry laughed and looked away, shaking his head, before looking back. “Hermione insisted it was me. I honestly tried to get someone else to go because I don’t look forward to grading papers, but Hermione told me that if I could defeat Voldemort, I could grade some papers.”

Ron chuckled, feeling comfortable in his friend’s presence. “Same old Hermione, then?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah, same old Hermione. Don’t let her hear us saying that, though,” Harry said, and Ron laughed along with his friend.

A comfortable silence followed, and they stayed like that for a few minutes, taking in each other’s presence.

Ron watched as Harry yawned, obviously tired. “You should go sleep,” Ron suggested. “Where are you staying?”

“I have living quarters in… my office. Wow, that sounds weird,” Harry said with an odd look on his face.

Ron sniggered. “Better get used to it, mate.”

The two best friends walked out of the office, and once they arrived in the hallway, they saw Dumbledore standing there, evidently waiting for them.

Harry once again had that face on him before it disappeared. “Hello, sir.”

Ron asked a question that had been bugging him for a while now, “Sir, you told me that you informed the Unspeakables early this summer, and they found a way a few weeks later. How come you didn’t tell me?”

Dumbledore smiled softly at him. “I’m afraid I did not want to get your hopes up, Mr. West. I was worried that it would not work. Fortunately, it did,” he said, smiling both of the friends before saying the password and entering his office.

“Mr. West?” Harry asked, an eyebrow raised and a smirk on his face.

Ron made a face. “It was the best I could come up with. Sorry I didn’t bother to research about last names in a time of crisis,” he said overdramatically, and Harry laughed.

“It’s okay. I told Dumbledore that my new name should be Harry Harrison,” he added, and Ron chuckled. “Hey, it was the best I could come up with too. Don’t judge.”

The two started walking to their dormitories, when Ron realized something. “Oh no, I don’t know the password!” He resisted the urge to facepalm.

Harry sniggered. “Guess you’re just going to have to crash outside then.”

“You’re in luck, Ron,” a voice called from behind them. When they turned around, they saw who the voice belonged to, and Ron heard Harry next to him suck in a breath. “I was just patrolling when I heard you say that. It’s Balderdash.” It was a girl with auburn hair and bright green eyes.

Lily Evans.

Ron grinned at the girl. “Thank you, Lily,” he said, shoving Harry slightly so that he wouldn’t stare at her like a creep. Harry immediately broke out of his trance and stared at the floor, fidgeting with his hands.

Lily smiled back and said, “Of course.” She paused, looking between Harry and Ron. “If you don’t mind me asking, who are you?” she asked Harry.

Harry immediately looked up, startled. “Me?” he asked, and Ron resisted the urge to facepalm once again.

“Considering I know Ron, and I certainly know myself, yes, I mean you,” she teased, smiling at Harry.

Harry smiled nervously and chuckled a bit, running his hands through his hair once before dropping them to his side. “I’m the new Defense professor, Harry Harrison.”

Lily looked surprised. “Oh, I don’t want to sound rude, but… you seem a bit young.”

“No, it’s alright. I’m still 17, but… age never defines experience, does it?” Harry said anxiously.

Ron nudged him playfully. “Oh, don’t worry. Harry definitely has experience. He’ll be great, better than last year’s for sure.”

Lily smiled at them. “I really hope so.” After an odd silence, she said, “It was nice meeting you, Professor Harrison. See you later, Ron.” Ron waved goodbye, and she walked passed them into the next hallway.

After a long silence, Harry ran his hands through his hair once again and said, “I was… not ready for that.”

Ron grimaced and said, “I know, mate.”

They continued their walk in silence until they arrived at the Fat Lady.

Ron turned to Harry, a smirk already on his face. “I’ll see you tomorrow, _Professor Harrison._ ”

Harry scowled at him before replying, “See you tomorrow, Mr. West,” and they both laughed before parting ways.

“Balderdash,” Ron said to the Fat Lady, who swung open at his reply and revealed the Gryffindor common room.

If there was anywhere Ron loved to be in the past two years, it was this room. They held memories of all sorts, including his favorites with Harry and Hermione.

As he entered the common room, Ron analyzed the room. Marlene Mckinnon, Mary Macdonald, and Dorcas Meadowes, all of Lily’s friends, were gathered around the fireplace, obviously catching up. There were many others just hanging around, some doing last minute schoolwork. Most people, including the Marauders, seemed to be in their dormitories, however.

Ron walked up to his dormitory and entered without knocking. When he opened the door, he saw the Marauders fall completely silent as if they had forgotten he would be coming. Ron resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

However, when his eyes landed briefly on Sirius, Ron paled and felt his stomach drop. He closed the door behind him without sending another glance at the four and walked to his bed—the one farthest to the right—trying not to think about the future.

“Hey, Ron,” he heard Remus say softly. Ron sat on his bed, not looking up from where he started looking through his trunk for his night clothes.

Ron cleared his throat before replying, “Hi.”

They didn’t say anything to him after that, instead returning to what they had been originally talking about—Quidditch, Ron heard—and Ron mostly tuned them out.

When Ron had changed and made it into his bed, the Marauders were also in their beds, Peter’s soft snores echoing through the room.

Ron’s mind, starting to form a headache, wondered if tonight had actually happened. He hoped that when he woke up, it would not turn out to be a dream.

Ron realized—as he tossed and turned and tried to fall asleep—that he would not be able to get any rest tonight, especially not with his mind racing a mile a minute and filled with a million questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all! The next chapter will hopefully be uploaded by 4/18/20. I'm giving myself two weeks to write the next chapter because I don't have much time to write during the week days, so I'm giving myself two weekends. Plus, I plan on having the next chapter be long. Hopefully, if I write fast enough, I could have it much earlier than that. I have a question for you guys. When Harry is explaining everything that has happened, would you like me to write out what happened in dialogue, or skip that part and just summarize it somewhere in the story?
> 
> Hope you liked it!


	4. maybe i do not want to know, for i fear it may be too much

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ron's regular day, but filled with more situations than usual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm so sorry for publishing this late! I've been really busy lately and barely had time to. But I finally have it here! I hope you enjoy!

Ron didn’t wake up.

No, he did not die. That would have been a very unfortunate way to start this. He just never fell asleep. So, when he saw the sun starting to shine through the window as birds started chirping, and Ron grew frustrated at his lack of ability to sleep, he got up and decided to take a shower.

After Ron had showered and changed, he went back into the dormitories and saw a scenario he was used to after two years.

“Just five more minutes, Moony, please!” said Sirius, hiding under his covers to try to block out the sunlight. Ron moved next to his bed, grabbed his bag, and started placing his books in the bag.

Remus, who was already dressed, tidy, and ready for the day, sighed, exasperated, and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You said that _ten_ minutes ago, Padfoot!”

“I can’t find my Potions book!” James shouted. He was looking through his trunk, trying to find his book. His hair was very messy and his robes were slightly disheveled. His tie hung around his neck, as James never bothered to tie it.

“Check under your bed, Prongs,” Peter suggested, standing by his bed and fixing his tie.

James shook his head. “I already did and it's not there!”

“Get up, Padfoot, or I’ll do what I did to you in third year,” Remus threatened, a mischievous grin on his face.

At this statement, Sirius immediately bolted up. “Alright, alright! I’m up!” he said. However, he still sat in his bed, rubbing his eyes and trying to adjust to the light.

“ _Where_ is it?” James questioned in frustration, running a hand through his hair.

Remus looked at him and asked, “Did you check under your bed?”

" _Yes_ , Moony, I already checked there!” James said, giving up and shutting his trunk. He unintentionally ran a hand through his hair again.

Ron looked up at them and cleared his throat. Immediately, all four of them stopped what they were doing and stared at him, and Ron felt his face slightly burn at the attention.“You can use mine if you can’t find yours,” he said, shrugging slightly.

James smiled at him. “Thanks, Ron, but I’m sure I’ll find it.” He turned to Sirius, who had slowly started getting out of the bed. “Sirius, you don’t have it, right?”

Sirius, however, was obviously trying to hide the sly grin that was starting to form on his face. At this, James scowled and said, “You prat! Where did you hide it?” He walked up to Sirius and started searching around and in Sirius’s bed.

Sirius decided he could no longer keep in his smiles and burst out laughing. Remus and Peter looked as if they wanted to join too, and Peter waited a few seconds before doing exactly that. Remus instead grinned. Ron felt a smile tugging at his lips too, although he truly did not know where James’s book was.

James slowly turned around after Remus had joined the laughing fit. “What did you guys do?” he asked carefully. As a response, the three of his friends started laughing even more. James turned to Ron, who shrugged in response before glaring at Sirius and running out of the room to the bathroom.

“Reckon he knows, Moony?” Sirius said, still grinning wickedly and sniggering.

James entered the room again and sent a suspicious look towards the three of his friends. “Alright, can someone please tell me what is going on?”

“Sirius may or may not have slipped your Potions book into Evans’s bag last night,” Peter said, smiling widely. Ron resisted the urge to glare at the boy for the millionth time.

James’s face went red. “Seriously, Sirius? You couldn’t have done something else? You just had to give it to Lily!” He groaned before running out of the common room.

Remus frowned at the spot James had been just standing at moments before. “Think we went too far?”

“Nope, he’ll be fine. Besides, he needs to realize that he can’t give up so easily. They’re _meant_ to be,” replied Sirius.

Ron was a bit confused. Had James Potter decided to give up on getting Lily Evans to fall for him?

Remus seemed to notice Ron’s confusion, because he said to Ron, “James has decided to stop asking Lily out and trying to get her to like him. He says it's because there are more serious things to worry about, like the War.”

At the mention of the War, everyone went silent and looked worried. The attacks had been getting worse by the minute, and everyday, a new person seemed to die.

One of Ron’s biggest fears since arriving in the past was Voldemort even _knowing_ of his current existence. If Voldemort found out there was a time traveler, he would no doubt go looking for Ron and search his memories to see the future, which would consequently lead the world to ruins.

Fortunately, as you can tell, the world was still intact, and Voldemort never found out.

The “yet” was left unthought, but it hung there in the back of his mind.

The silence was broken when James returned, his hands empty. “Marlene said that she’s already at breakfast.” He grabbed his bag from his bed and said, “Come on, let’s go.”

“But I’m not changed yet!” Sirius pointed out.

“Well, you can change then. I’m going.” With that, he left the dormitory.

Sirius looked crestfallen at James’s departure. He turned to his remaining two friends, who were looking at him worriedly. “You guys can go along too. I’ll catch up.”

Remus and Peter shared a look before Peter said, “Okay, and don’t worry about him. He’ll get over it. He’s just a bit moody after… you know,” he trailed off, glancing at Ron.

Ron would’ve rolled his eyes if he wasn’t so used to it. The Marauder’s liked to reference things that Ron wouldn’t understand. At least, _sometimes_ he wouldn’t be able to. He could understand the werewolf and Animagus jokes very clearly.

As Peter and Remus left the room, Ron returned to packing his bag. Feeling a bit uncomfortable with only Sirius’s presence, he said, “I can wait for you, if you’d like.”

Sirius, who was getting out his robes out of his trunk, looked up and said, “You don’t have to.”

Ron shrugged and, not wanting to be rude, said, “I don’t mind.” He grabbed his bag and leaned on the wall right by the door. Wanting to give Sirius privacy, he stared at the floor and consumed himself with his thoughts.

 _Had last night actually happened, or was it all just a dream? Was there really hope for a way back home? Was Voldemort actually dead in his time? Guess I’ll just have to wait and see if Harry is actually there at breakfast_ , Ron thought.

He heard Sirius walking towards him and noticed he was all ready to go.

“You ready?” Ron asked anyway.

Sirius nodded. “Let’s go.”

The common room was mostly empty save for a few students when the two got there. They left the common room and began their walk to the Great Hall. Ron found that the silence was extremely awkward.

“You don’t look like you slept,” Sirius said suddenly, and Ron almost stopped in his tracks. Thankfully, he had not and instead looked at Sirius curiously with an eyebrow raised.

“How would you know?” Ron asked.

Sirius shrugged casually. “It’s a bit obvious, and I can tell, if you know what I mean.” Ron did not know what to say to that, and Sirius added, “If you ever need to… erm… talk about it…”

Was Sirius Black… offering comfort? Ron looked at the boy, bewildered and surprised. He put on his best smile and said, “I’m alright. Thanks, mate.”

Sirius simply nodded, and Ron was tempted to ask if Sirius himself had slept at all, but he decided not to as they reached the Great Hall.

 _This was it_ , Ron thought. Whether or not last night was a dream would be confirmed as soon as they stepped in the Hall.

However, when the pair entered the Great Hall, the Defense chair was once again empty, and Ron almost stopped walking again as he felt his heart drop.

Sirius seemed to notice his sudden change in mood. “You alright?” he asked.

Ron nodded, not knowing how to reply. The two finally made their way to the Gryffindor table and their usual spot, where, a slightly more calm James, Peter who was eating, and Remus who was talking to James while eating his food, was waiting for them. Sirius sat in his spot next to James silently, while Ron took his usual spot at the table, which was a seat down to the left of Peter. Sirius noticed that Ron did not sit with them but chose not to comment on it.

Ron almost sighed out loud, realizing how hungry he was after barely finishing his dinner last night. _Last night…_

Ron still couldn’t believe that last night had happened, and he wouldn’t let himself believe it until he saw Harry again.

Almost as if on cue, Ron heard the chatter around him increase. He heard Remus ask, “Is that the new professor?” and Ron immediately looked up.

He felt his heart leap in his throat as he saw his best friend, the one and only Harry Potter, walk his way to his seat. Harry must’ve felt Ron staring, because he turned in Ron’s direction and gave him a smile.

Ron immediately grinned back, and Harry turned, walked, and finally sat in his seat. A couple of others were looking at Ron, including the Marauders, and Ron faced his food.

After a little while, when McGonagall started handing out their schedules, Dumbledore stood up and waited for the Hall to quiet down. Once everyone was silent, Dumbledore said, “It is my pleasure to announce the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Please welcome Harry Harrison!”

Ron resisted the urge to snort at that name and began applauding along with the others.

 _How come he didn’t want to be introduced last night? He was already here_ , Ron wondered. _Probably didn’t want to give the both of us a heart attack after not seeing each other for two years_.

He heard a gasp come from the left of him, and he turned around to see all four of the Marauders looking at him with their mouths wide open. Ron scrunched his eyebrows. “What?”

“That—no wonder you—!” spluttered James.

Ron felt even more confused than before. “What?” he asked again.

“Harry!” Peter shouted. “That’s _the_ Harry. The one you keep calling James by accident.”

Now it was Ron’s turn to gape. “How did you guys…?”

“He smiled at you when he walked in, and you smiled back. He also does look like James, which explains why you kept mixing the two up,” Remus explained.

Ron was surprised at how fast they put two and two together.

“Is that why you couldn’t sleep last night? Because your old best friend suddenly arrived?” Sirius bluntly asked. The other three Marauders looked at Ron curiously, and Ron felt the urge to facepalm.

“No. Besides, why do you guys suddenly care?” Ron snapped, raising an eyebrow but feeling a bit bad. He didn’t want to be rude.

The quartet shared a look before James replied, “Well, we haven’t exactly been… er… kind to you,” he said softly, running his hands through his hair, and Ron, for the third time that day, was left speechless.

“Oh, look. He’s walking over here,” Peter said abruptly, and, indeed, when Ron looked up, he saw Harry walking towards him. Many people were staring, but Ron couldn’t care less, and it seemed that Harry couldn’t either.

He saw Harry glance nervously at the four friends, and Ron felt worried. Was Harry going to be okay with seeing the Marauders all together?

Ron sure hoped so, because when Harry sat down in front of him and whispered, “Hey,” he felt the eyes of the friends watching and listening into the conversation very closely.

“Hello,” Ron said back. “Slept well?”

At this, Harry seemed to frown for a quick second before he was smiling again. He nodded and said, “You?”

Ron nodded too, knowing full well that all four of the Marauders would know that he was lying but also knowing that Harry himself wouldn’t believe it.

Harry grabbed a toast from his plate, and Ron exclaimed, “Hey, I was going to eat that!”

Harry chuckled and said, “I’m sure you were,” before taking a bite.

Ron glared at him before grabbing another toast to pile onto his plate. “I _was_.” 

Harry just smiled at him, and Ron couldn’t help but ask, “Are you even allowed to be here?”

Harry shrugged. “What’s Dumbledore going to do, kick me out?”

Ron laughed. “I guess not. After all, you are—” But Ron stopped himself from finishing his sentence just in time, throwing a quick glance at the Marauders.

Harry looked at them and cleared his throat. Ron watched as the four best friends became wide eyed. “Hello,” said Harry.

“Hello,” Sirius said, and Ron could see Harry grow slightly pale. “I’m the one and only Sirius Black,” he introduced, grinning.

“I’m Peter Pettigrew,” Peter said, smiling shyly at Harry. Ron saw Harry’s face twitch, but managed to keep it neutral.

It was Remus’s turn, and he held out his hand. “Remus Lupin. Nice to meet you, Professor.” Ron saw Harry pale again as he shook his future professor’s hand, and Ron immediately felt dread creep up on him again.

 _Is Remus also…?_ Ron shoved his thoughts away, focusing on the interaction in front of him.

“I’m Potter, James Potter. You look a lot like me. Distant relative?” James asked.

Harry shook his head. “Doubt it. Although, I have no clue what my family tree looks like, so I suppose it could be a possibility or just a coincidence.”

“So,” Sirius started. “How do you two know each other?”

Ron already had this planned. “Remember how I said I was taught by a professor in my neighborhood? Well, he’s the son of the professor. Harry’s the same age as me, although I started a year late.”

“You weren’t the only student the professor was teaching?” Remus asked, and Ron shook his head.

“No, there were other students,” Harry answered for him. “Like Hermione.”

Ron immediately felt wistful, and repeated, “Like Hermione.”

Harry sniggered. “Bet you miss her. It was… silent without you,” Harry said, but his face was turned down, as if Ron’s absence had an affect on Harry and Hermione’s friendship.

Ron nodded slowly. “I reckon it was.”

Comfortable silence was filled, and Harry asked, “You don’t have my class today, right?” Ron took a quick look at his schedule before shaking his head. “Alright then, I should get going. I’ll see you later?”

Ron nodded and took his last bite of his food. He watched as Harry returned back to his seat and wondered how different it was going to be to have Harry as a professor. Ron supposed it was going to be like fifth year when Harry taught the D.A.

Another day of classes passed, and Ron forgot how much he disliked sitting in a classroom while listening to a professor speak. By the time dinner rolled around, he just wanted to hop into his bed and make up the sleep he had lost last night. When Harry approached him at dinner, he said that he simply just wanted to go to sleep, and Harry had understood, leaving Ron to head up to the common room but not before hearing the Marauders talk about Lily and James’s patrols and how James could use that time to show Lily how much he had matured. James had disagreed, saying that he felt as if it was a lost cause. Once Ron made it to his dormitory, he immediately changed into his nightclothes, jumped into his bed, shut his curtains and his eyes, before immediately falling asleep.

* * *

The next day was almost the same, except that Ron had woken up and headed to breakfast early. Harry was already there, seemingly going through another night of restlessness, and after they had both finished eating, Harry took Ron to his office, and put up silencing wards.

“Please, Harry, _please_ do not tell me that Remus doesn’t make it too,” Ron immediately said after Harry triple checked that the room had been charmed successfully.

Harry’s face answered his question.

Ron fell into a seat in front of Harry’s desk and felt his mind screaming that _no, it couldn’t be true, he couldn’t be dead_ —

“He had a son,” Harry said, his voice breaking. “Teddy. Teddy Remus Lupin. He’s a metamorphmagus, like his mother, Tonks. He’s not a werewolf, thankfully. Remus kept worrying that he would’ve been.”

Ron felt his breathing grow heavier. “Tonks?"

“Yeah, they got married last year. They named me godfather of Teddy. I’m doing an amazing job, that’s for sure, with leaving him and traveling back in time with the high possibility of never returning,” Harry said sarcastically.

But that’s not what Ron had asked. “No, I mean… Does Tonks… make it?”

Harry paled again before shaking his head. Ron sighed and buried his head in his hands, staying like that for a few seconds, trying to ignore the empty weight on his stomach. Remus and Tonks did not deserve their fate. 

_Teddy_. _Another_ innocent child who had his parents taken away from him so early in his life that he would barely be able to remember them. No one deserved that. Nobody.

“Tell me everything,” Ron said suddenly, removing his hands from his face and looking at Harry with a feeling of determination, “from the moment we were separated in the battle to last night. I want to hear every single detail.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that's it! I know this isn't my best writing, and I'm sorry about that. Also, I unfortunately cannot give an exact date as to when I'll have the next chapter, but I promise I will have it soon. I definitely won't have time for at least the next three weeks for I have personal stuff that I must do, so it might be up to a month when I'll be able to update. I'm sorry guys :(
> 
> Remember that constructive criticism is welcome. See you guys next time, and please stay safe!


	5. not a chapter

Hi guys!! Sorry this isn't an update :( I just wanted to let you all know that I have not abandoned this, nor do I plan to. I've been struggling with mental health for a long time and I lost the motivation to write. I hope on updating very soon, however. I have written half of the next chapter. I'm so sorry, once again.

While I'm here, here is two links as for donations/petitions you can sign to help with whats going on in the world!!  
https://dotherightthing.carrd.co  
https://issuesintheworld.carrd.co

See you guys soon!


End file.
